


Faith, Trust, and- this was not what I expected.

by SnickerSnicket



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dreamshade, F/M, Peter Pan Book references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-06-08 21:14:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6873511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnickerSnicket/pseuds/SnickerSnicket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose thought that when she is taken to Neverland, it would be an escape from her troubles. It turns out she has to escape Neverland once she's there</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Tragedy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you know me, please don't read this

Rose laughed. She couldn't help it. Her appearance was so funny, looking in the mirror. Her amber colored hair was in a ridiculously high ponytail, and a read boa wrapped around her pale neck. Her blue-grey eyes were framed by heavy eyeliner, and her lips had a coating of bright purple. Lots of pink blush nearly covered her freckles. Her dress was forest green, stopping at her knees, wearing black wool leggings and brown combat boots. But that was where the serious part of her costume stopped. Around her waist was a tie- dyed sash, and a neon yellow cape. Her friend, Olivia, also laughed. She was dressed in a similar manner. Rose quickly put the music on, and they started to jam out, singing into their brushes as though they were microphones.  
"They'll tell you I'm insane-" Olivia screamed  
"But I got a blank space baby-" Rose sang back  
"And I'll write your name!" They both finished, on the floor laughing.  
"So do you want to have a sleep over?" Rose asked  
"Can't. I am only aloud to have a sleep over if there are adults in the house, and since it's only you, I can't. When are your parents going to be back?"  
"Around, like, twelve. Anna's soccer games usually go late, and they are far away." Olivia's phone buzzed.  
"Looks like my dad's here. I have to go. Thank you." Both girls took off the crazy portions of their outfits, and Rose helped Olivia to the door. After waving goodbye, she went back up stairs and took off as much makeup as she could. Now, Rose almost looked normal. All she had on was the green dress, the leggings, and the shoes. Her hair was now in a lose sided braid. Feeling relaxed, she chose a book, out of the many she had, and started reading. She was suddenly startled from her focus with a knock at the door. She cautiously went to check who it was. It was her grandmother, and she was... crying. Opening up, she received terrible news.  
"Rose, dear, I'm sorry, but on their way home, your parents and your sister got into a car crash. No one survived." This news hit her like a brick. After being told to pack up her things, because she was to live with her grandmother from now on, she slowly walked up stairs. She just couldn't find it in her to cry. She sat down, and returned reading. Maybe this was all a hallucination, and if she went back to where she was before her world had crumbled, it would all be over. Her book, Peter Pan, gave her an odd idea. In her shocked state, she could believe anything, and do anything without fearing consequences. She packed a small sack of things she thought she would need. Anna's pocket knife, a pack of trail mix, and her book, Peter Pan. She slipped a sweatshirt on, and climbed to the roof.  
"Peter Pan, I believe!" Rose yelled into the empty sky. Silence.  
"Please, take me. Take me away, and bring me to Neverland. Let me swim with the mermaids, fight with the pirates, and eat with the Indians. Please, just take me." A dark figure flew down, seemingly out of nowhere. Without hesitation, she grabbed his hand.


	2. You're Not Him

The first thought that filled her head was "Where is Peter Pan?" but this was quickly chased away with the thought of flying. Well, she herself was not actually flying. The shadow was pulling her. They were quickly fling toward the second star on the right, as Rose knew they would. But she was starting to have regrets about calling him, especially when he dropped her. Rose screamed. The trees were quickly nearing her. She reached out her hands, and after whacking through a couple of weaker, thin branches, she caught on to a thick one. She hung there for a few seconds, then slowly descended. She at last got to the ground. This was the first time she could look at her surroundings. It seemed she was in a jungle, it seemed, and before falling, she thought she saw an ocean. So that must mean she was on an island. Of course she was! She was on Neverland, right? Rose noticed a pain in her hands. The branches had given her red welts on her hands.  
"Does it hurt much?" Rose almost screamed. Out of nowhere, there was a boy. He was dressed in green, and had a devilish smile on his face. This could not be Peter Pan. Peter Pan was kinder, he had red hair, and definitely did not look around 17 or 18.  
"Are you mute, or just dumb?" He asked. Rose found her voice.  
"I am neither, and yes it does hurt a bit. Now who are you?"  
"I am Peter, Pan, but I expected you to know that. After all, you did call me."  
"No, you aren't."  
"Yes, I am. I wouldn't trust that book you have in your pack."  
"How did you know about that?"  
"On this island, I know everything. Now let's see. Lately, I have gotten bored. That is why I brought a girl to the island. I want to play a game."  
"Yeah? Well I don't. If you wold be so kind, I would like to go back."  
"I can't allow that. You can't get off this island without my permission. Now I suggest you play. The rules are simple. Don't get caught. You have 15 minute head start. If you want to survive, I suggest you run." 

 

Rose ran. She ran as far and as fast as she could. Luckily, she was still wearing her outfit that she had been in after Olivia left, and so the combat boots helped. Unluckily, the sweatshirt she had put on was making her overheat. She didn't have the time to take it off, for fear of getting caught. But she began to get dehydrated, and their was a cool stream up ahead, and so she thought it couldn't be that bad to take a break. After all she was a fast runner, and she did have a 15 minute head start. She took off her sweatshirt, relishing the feel of air on her arms, and knelt to get a drink of water. It felt so good. She heard a rustle in the bushes. Fearing it was Peter Pan, she shot up. But all it was was a little boy. Was he lost? was he also being chased by Peter? As she was going to ask these questions, a thought popped into her head. He was a Lost Boy, and most probably working with Peter. As she was backing up, another boy came out. Soon, she was surrounded.  
"We got her now!" a boy said triumphantly. But no, they didn't. Rose was not going to let it end like this.  
"Tootles?" She asked to the group.  
"How do you know my name?" a boy on her left said/  
"Slightly?" She asked  
" Hey, what-?" Taking advantage of their shocked expressions, she pushed through them and ran. They were right on her heals. She soon came to a small body of water, the Mermaid Lagoon, she remembered. Though she was not too sure about this alternate Neverland, she did not want to get caught. So she took a risk and jumped.


	3. Nowhere Safe

The water was cold. that was the first thought. The second thought was that she felt something. Something scaly sliding against her ankle. Then a hand grabbed her arm, pulling her deeper. She kicked with all her might. She was released of the grip, and she began swimming upwards. But she was losing oxygen, and fast. Black dots swam before her eyes. She was so close. Rose could see the sunlight filtering through the water. Just as she broke the surface, just before she could take a deep breath, she passed out. 

When she woke up, she was under a large tree. There was a canister of water near her. She tried to sit up, but instantly felt dizzy.  
"I wound't do that if I were you." She looked sharply to the left. Peter was leaning against an adjacent tree. He must have seen her confused expression, because he then said "I couldn't let you die. That would be no fun." Rose rolled her eyes. Her rescuer was her captor. Because who else? She drank the contents of the water canister, and then felt better to sit up, leaning against the tree. Now was the time to ask questions, if she could get any answers.   
"Is there anything I could do to leave this island, or am I stuck here until I die from old age?"  
"I can assure you that won't happen. Here on Neverland, no one ages." Rose bit back a curse. Of course.   
"Is my pack here?" She asked.  
"Yes, and somehow, nothing is wet."  
"Yeah, well, it's a waterproof pack."   
"A waterproof pack, huh. I don't think anyone on this island even knows what that is."  
"Probably because you keep them in the dark." She received a slap for this.   
"Don't speak to the most powerful being on Neverland like that. It won't do you any good."   
"Maybe if I die, it will."  
"I see that you are not fit to be on your own. You are coming with me to the camp. We shall keep you there until you conform."  
"You will never get to me." He grabbed her arm, and yanked, making Rose trip and she rammed into him. For a boy so thin, he was incredibly strong, and when he wrapped his other arm around her back, pinning her in place. Rose almost fainted again, from the lightheaded state she was in, and the tight grip Peter had. He placed his lips near her ear and said in a low voice "I always get what I want."

Rose came into the camp half stumbling behind Peter, half running. Peter was a fast walker. When they entered the camp, all the boys came out of the many little shacks and surrounded them.   
"Hey, isn't that the girl who knew our names?" someone shouted  
"Yeah, and then rammed past us!" Another said  
"Boys, boys, quiet down. We have an esteemed guest, and we shall treat her as so." Peter said to the crowd. Boys started to snicker at this. It seemed like guests were treated in a peculiar way. Rose looked at him, alarmed. "Felix," he said to a tall blond one, "take her to the seat of honor." What seat of honor? She was fairly certain that that could not be good. Felix took her arm, and lead her to a wooden pole. He took out some rope.  
"Oh, no. no no no. Please! This is ridiculous! This is not how it's supposed go! I- " But she was suddenly gagged. Felix didn't talk much. Then again, it would be hard to talk to someone who can't talk back. He tied the rope around her, tightly. It hurt. He then called another boy around his height, and together, they lifted her up, until she was parallel to the ground. Rose felt like an animal about to be roasted. Maybe that was what she was. Perhaps they were going to eat her. She didn't doubt it. They carried her to a shallow pit, the turned her upright. They bottom end of the pole went into the ground. Now she was reminded of the Salem Witch Trials. Just as that thought came into her head, Peter Pan entered the clearing.  
"Good job, boys." he said, nodding to Felix and his accomplice. "Why is she gagged? Did I give you direct orders to gag her?" Felix finally spoke.   
"No, but she was talking too much."   
"All girls do, Felix. I still did not tell you to gag her." Rose was a bit miffed at this comment.  
"I apologize." Felix said. His voice was monotone.   
"I shall think no longer of it. Now, to the celebration!" Peter said enthusiastically. What celebration? Did it involve fire? Rose thought. The boys started to circle around her. Then Peter took out a pan pipe, appropriately named, and started playing. The boys all whooped and danced around her. Maybe 5 minutes later, two boys came carrying torches. Rose's eyes widened. They were going to burn her. She had always had a fear of fire, and this was not helping. Adrenaline kicked in, and she started moving around. They had forgotten to take her pack off, and so she had a little extra room. Blood started to seep from her wrists, from rubbing against the rope. Her nails had always been sharp, and now they would be handy. While the boys were busy dancing around with the flames, she cut at the rope. Slowly, she had it undone. It was weakly made. Rose checked her surroundings. Her captors were gathering wood and kindling. She had to move fast. With a free hand, It was much easier and faster to undo her other wrist. She reached into her sack, and pulled out her pocket knife. Technically, it was her sister's, put she could not think of that now. She cut the ropes binding her waist and her ankles. The adrenaline was helping a lot. It was done in seconds. She slowly slid to the ground. No one had noticed yet. Rose took out her gag. The, she bolted for the opposite end of the clearing, where no one was. At this, they noticed. They started sprinting after of her. But her fear of fire kept her ahead of them. She came into the forest. It would be easier to lose them here.   
"Well, well. It looks like my playmate is trying to escape."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to update at least once a week


	4. Chapter 4

Peter laughed. It was not a nice laugh. It was more of a ha-I-caught-you-and-you-have-nowhere-to-run laugh. Rose eyed at him warily.  
"It seems like someone does not like fire." He said, snickering.  
"I don't . Especially when I am about to be burned by it."  
"Oh, we weren't going to actually set you on fire. It was just a bit of fun."  
"You have a sick sense of fun." Peter lunged forward, knocking her to the ground. He was now on top of her. This made her face turn red. But why? She hated him! She told her teenage hormones to calm down inside her head.  
"On this Island, whatever I do or say is right." He said through gritted teeth. It scared Rose a bit. But she would not let him get to her. She rolled out from under him, and stood up.  
"Maybe I won't be on this island for much longer." She walked back to camp, this time Peter behind her. Her mind was working furiously. She had to escape. But how? It seemed like Peter or his Lost Boys were everywhere. She was given a small, lesser used shack to sleep in. So Rose wrapped her sweatshirt around herself and sank into a troubled sleep. She dreamed she was at home, reading. Suddenly, she heard the door slam, indicating her parents and sister Anna were home. But she just stayed in her bed, reading. After all, didn't this happen every Saturday night? Soon, Anna would come into the room they shared, tell her all about the soccer game, gossip about certain players, and make Rose laugh. Rose heard Anna's voice coming nearer, thanking her parents for being there. Right as the door opened, Rose woke up. She was back in Neverland, wrapped in a dirty sweatshirt. She sat up. Rose thought of her dream, and how strange it was that the dream was not crazy, or impossible, but more believable than her current situation. She walked out of the shack, surveying the scene. It seemed it was a state of emergency. People were running about, and ushering a boy to a log to sit on. This would be the opportune time to escape. Felix must have seen the look in her eyes, because he assigned two boys to guard her.  
"What happened?" She asked one of them. Slightly, she recalled. He glanced at his friend, than decided that it could do no harm to answer.  
"Nibs got pricked by Dreamshade."  
"Dream what?"  
"You know, Dreamshade. The thorny bush that kills you once it's poison reaches your heart. But that's only if it enters your blood. I've never gotten scratched by it." He responded proudly.  
"And will he die, then? Is there an antidote?"  
"I don't know what and 'annie dote' is, but the only cure is water from some special spring. Peter knows where it is."  
"Only thing is, once you have it, you can't leave Neverland without dying. Not that anyone would want to." The other boy, Curly, piped in. They both burst out laughing, as if leaving Neverland was a joke. Just then, Peter Pan flew in. This was the first time Rose had seen him fly but in the subconscious of her mind, she had always known that. He carried a bottle with him. Landing near the boy who had been poisoned, he gave it to him. The boy eagerly drank the contents. Later, he was jumping and laughing with the other boys, as if he had never been near death.  
"Pretty heroic of me, right?" Peter said from behind her. Rose bit back the reply. She did not feel like getting hurt. Instead, she just nodded. A plan had started forming in her head.  
"Where did he get his wound from the Dreamshade?" she asked nonchalantly.  
"Why does it matter?"  
"So I don't go there."  
"Or maybe you will go there, and try to poison me."  
"Now why would I do that?"  
"Don't get sarcastic on me, girl." Rose decided that Peter would not give her the needed information. He was right in saying that she had lied about not going there. But he was wrong about the purpose. Rose walked back into her shack. She was hungry. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. Her pack contained trail mix, as she had thought of food when she was packing. All that seemed like a dream now. 

 

Later that day, between noon and evening, she joined the boys. No one really noticed her. She got close to the one who had been poisoned, putting on her best face.  
"So what's your name?" She asked. He looked surprised that she was taking to him. Then he looked flattered.  
"I'm Nibs. And your Rose, right? Like the flower?"  
"Yes." She laughed, giving off a friendly air. "Like the flower. I heard about how Dreamshade almost killed you. You must have been brave to have made it back."  
"Yeah, I guess I was." He said, puffing out his chest.  
"Where was the Dreamshade? How far did you have to travel with the wound?"  
"It was around a fourth of a days walk north of here. It was near a rock shaped like a tree. But the way back was not very hard with my injury." He answered proudly.  
"Well you are certainly very tough." She said flatteringly. It wasn't hard to smile now. She had all the information she needed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter with a lot of content.

That night when everyone was asleep, Rose tiptoed out. Of course Peter had set guards by her shack. But they were fast asleep, as she knew they would be. It was Rose who suggested they play a long game of energetic zombie tag. They boys had refused to stop once she taught them. When they finally did, they were almost too tired to stand. So when Rose left, non one noticed. She knew that eventually, Peter would. And she also knew that he would catch up to her. But that would hopefully take at least 6 hours. Carrying her pack, She quietly left the camp.

Rose had been hiking for around 4 hours. So far, she had not taken any water breaks. But she needed her energy, and so still walking, she ate the rest of her trail mix. Rose was so thirsty, she drank all the water too. Yet she was sure there was a spring along the way. Soon, she reached an odd looking rock. It looked as the boy had described. Around it, there were thorny bushes. There it was. There was her escape from this nightmare. Because that was what this was, a nightmare. Her dreams here were reality. That was why they had seemed to normal. If she died here, the only place fro her to go back to was a different dream, or reality. Her parents weren't really dead. She had just fallen asleep reading her book, Peter Pan. It explained why she was dreaming of Neverland, a place that couldn't possibly exist. She just had a vibrant imagination. Rose reached for a thorn. She knew it would hurt, and yet it wouldn't matter. She would just be back home soon enough anyway. Her finger pressed on the thorn. Blood seeped out of the pinprick. It was just like Sleeping Beauty, she thought dreamily. She could instantly feel the beginnings of the effects of the deadly substance. Already her finger was numb.  
"What are you doing?" a sharp voice asked. Rose calmly turned around. Peter stood there, looking angrier than ever. His gaze lowered to her finger. "What the ...?"  
"You can't keep me now." She laughed. "I will be free. And this horrible nightmare will end."  
"I can, and I will. I told you before that no one escapes Neverland. Death will not help you. Your body is still here."  
"No, it won't. I'm not even actually here. This is all just a dream." Rose replied. Her whole hand was numb now. But she didn't care. Once the poison spread to her heart, she would wake up.  
"Oh, you think this is a dream, don't you. You don't think that you will actually die."  
"I know that it's a dream. Nightmare, more like. And you can't stop me. It's too late. Even if this is not a dream, I would still rather die."  
"I can't allow that."  
"It's hard to stop death."  
"Death is an awfully big adventure that you don't deserve to have. Come on." As he was saying this, Rose's arm lost feeling.  
"Where are you dragging me?" She asked. Peter had grabbed her unharmed arm and was pulling it toward a spring of water. Suddenly, Rose remembered Slightly's words. "Oh no. You can't! I won't drink it!" She wished the poison would act faster. It had reached the base of her neck, and was spreading downward. Peter pointed to the spring.  
"Drink." he said in a commanding tone. Rose shook her head. She refused. Rose started to panic, before remembering that she only had to hold Peter off until the poison got to her heart. Peter's eyes narrowed. "I won’t drink from the spring.” She repeated, eyes meeting his own unwavering. “I refuse! I-“ All sound ceased in the clearing abruptly, the sun disappearing behind clouds and sending the two figures plummeting into darkness.  
A moment passed, and then another, eyes squeezed tightly shut as Rose found herself bound to the spot, with lips forcibly pried open by Pan's own. Clouds drifted, sunlight once again piercing down. In the same time, Rose roughly shoved Peter away, drawing in a sudden rush of air as she stumbled back until at least five feet of distance stood between them. It didn’t matter though, she was too late.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last Chapter!

Back at camp, Rose was never alone. She was always surrounded by at least two boys. After a week, she was getting desperate. Once or twice she even had thoughts about killing Peter Pan. Rose was not the murdering type, but that could change. She had lost weight. Her cheekbones stood out like a skeletons. The Lost Boys gave her only the scraps from their meals, and it wasn't enough. They had confiscated her pack, and so her trail mix was gone. One night, while she was alone with her thoughts, a plan formed. Her roof was made of a weak wood. It would be quite easy to punch through it with a sharpened stick. Maybe in her normal state, maybe a week ago, she would have thought through her plan more. But she was desperate, and her brain was deprived of food. Anything seemed reasonable. Taking a stick from the surrounding walls, she sharpened it with her teeth. Eventually, it had a pointed end. Rose thrust it to her ceiling. it made a fracture. Again and again she did it. Then she broke through. By now, of course, the sound had alerted her guards. They ran through the entrance. But they were too late. Rose had already used her acrobatic skills to jump through the hole. Although she was low on energy, adrenaline was coursing through her veins. She stood on the roof, alert. Any minute now, Pan would come out. If he did, he would get stabbed right through the gut with her stick. She climbed onto a connecting tree. Rose leaped through the branches, like an animal. an animal was certainly what she felt like. Unclean and wild. She could hear Peter and the boys searching for her. They wouldn't expect her to travel through trees. After hours and hours, Rose came to the oddly shaped rock. Carefully, she broke off a bough of the Dreamshade. She was very careful not to prick herself. She then took back to the trees. Rose could hear the boys nearing her. How they found out where she was, she could only guess. Right as she disappeared into the branches, The boys marched into the clearing.  
"Ro-ose, we know you're here."Felix called.  
"You can't hide forever." Added Curly. Rose was too afraid to move out of fear that they may hear the leaves rustle. She didn't breath. Then Peter stepped into the clearing. Seeing Peter, Rose threw caution to the wind. She climbed to the next branch as fast as she could. Of course, they heard her. Rose moved faster. She was on the third branch, but they were following her. Perhaps they couldn't see her, but they followed. She was struck with an idea. Ripping a thicker stick off, she threw it to a tree to her left. The Lost Boys followed it. But Peter instantly found her. Rose jumped more and more branches, with Peter casually walking beside her.  
"So what are going to do now? Try to get to a far away enough so that we won't find you?" He asked. Rose didn't reply. "You know, this is a two way conversation." When she still didn't respond, he just kept on talking. "If you think you can ever get away, you are quite wrong. No matter how often you try it, it won't work." By now, the trees had ended, giving way to the mermaid lagoon. Rose jumped down.  
"Goodbye." That was all she said before pricking herself with Dreamshade and leaping into the lagoon. Peter Pan was too late. He had lunged forward, but she was gone. He dove into the water. The mermaids had already taken Rose. Even if Peter managed to pull her out of the mermaid's grasp, the Dreamshade would surely kill her by then. Because Rose had been very strategic in where she had pricked herself. Her ring finger on her left hand. that finger was said to have a vein connecting directly to her heart. Peter knew that, so when he left the water, he gave up hope. But he was angry. No one had ever escaped Neverland. Even if she had done so with death, she had still escaped. But perhaps Rose hadn't been completely insane with her theory. Smiling, he took off into the night. Rose woke up. She had fallen asleep with her face inside her book. She looked around. It was dark, but by the light of the moon streaming through her window she could see that Anna was asleep on her bed, the room was a mess, and the alarm clock read 1:36. So it had all been a dream. She was safe at home. Rose slowly got up. She was very sore, probably because of the awkward position she had been in while asleep. Careful not to wake anyone, she got into her pajamas and slipped into bed. Rose was a bit wary about sleeping, because of the disturbing dream she had, but reality took control and told her that dreams don't often repeat. She easily closed her eyes, falling asleep instantaneously. Rose didn't notice the tiny marks on two of her fingers, or the taste of salt on her tongue. She also didn't notice the shadow of a boy outside her window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think I should do a second part, please leave Kudos.


End file.
